Surprise or joke toy.



Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

INVENTOR .4

/A'TT0RNEY J. L. KELLOGG.

SURPRISE OR JOKE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1909.

WW TM WITN ESSES ANDREW a. GRAHAM co.v PNO'U-LITNOGRAPNERS,WASHINGTON. 0.4;

UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

JAMES L. KELLOGG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SURPRISE OR JOKE TOY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. KELLOGG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surprise or Joke Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in surprise or joke or trick toys, and it consists in the novel features, structure, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention'is to provide a box or receptacle of any suitable outline containing mechanism which may be set by the closing of the box to explode a percussion cap or lump (commonly called a cap) when the box is next opened, the idea being that I the box and its parts will be set to explode a cap and then handed to another to open the box with the suggestion of removing therefrom a cigarette, piece of candy or the like, and who, upon opening the box, will be slightly startled by the discharge of a cap within the box.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying my invent-ion, the same being shown as closed; Fig. 2 is a top view of the box, with the lid opened, showing the mechanism in the body of the box set for exploding a cap after the lid has been closed down and then opened, the opening of the lid releasing the hammer for exploding the cap; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the box, with the lid closed, on the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a like section through the box with the lid opened and the hammer shown in the position it takes upon exploding a cap, the section being on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a view corresponding with a portion of Fig. 2, Fig.

2 showing the hammer set to create, at the proper time, an explosion of a cap, and Fig. illustrating the hammer as having moved against and exploded a cap; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the dotted line 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 3.

In the drawings, 10 designates the body of the box and 11 the cover therefor, said cover being hinged at 12 in the usual way by a piece of fabric covering the back of the body Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Serial No. 485,607.

and cover. Upon the bottom of the box I secure a plate 14 which at one end affords an anvil 15 against which the caps are exploded, and at the other end has a post 16 upon which the hammer arm 17 is pivotally mounted. A spring 18 is employed for driving the outer end of the hammer arm 17 against the cap placed against the anvil 15 when the lid of the box is opened, and in the present instance I coil the spring 18 around the post 16 and have one of its ends bearing against the hub 19 of the hammer arm and its other end against the base plate 1e, whereby when the arm 17 is turned on the post 16 so as to carry its head in a direction from the anvil 15, the spring 18 will be placed under tension and will thereafter, when the hammer arm is released, cause said arm to quickly move to position against the anvil 15. The plate 14 in addition to carrying the anvil 15 is provided with two vertical arms 20, preferably in the form of pins, adjacent to the ends of the anvil 15, there being limited spaces left between the ends of said anvil and said pins or arms.

The caps to be exploded will be supplied in the form of a paper ribbon 21 containing at intervals the explosive material between its layers, and this ribbon will be wound into the form of a roll, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and allowed to rest loosely within the box, the free or outer end of the ribbon being carried across the anvil 15 and between the ends of the anvil and the arms or pins 20. The arms serve to restrain the strip of paper, to maintain the explosive material therein against the anvil, and, by their proximity to the ends of the anvil, compel the bending or folding of the paper strip at the ends of the anvil, this folding of the paper strip being important in the maintenance of the ribbon in position, especially since the roll is loosely placed within the box and the outer end of the ribbon is not secured other than by the anvil 15 and arms 20. As the ribbon is consumed its end is manually drawn over the anvil 15 step by step, the ribbon passing through the spaces formed between the ends of the anvil and the adjacent sides of the arms 20.

The hammer arm 17 may be formed of cast metal or sheet metal, as may be preferred, but I prefer to form the same of cast metal, and said arm' at its outer end constitutes a head for striking against the anvil 15 and at its inner end said arm is formed with a cap-like hub 19 which is mounted upon the post 16 and incloses the spring 18. The arm 17 considered in its broader sense is simply apivoted arm which is, at the proper time, actuated by the spring 18 to strike against a cap or piece of explosive substance in the ribbon 21 lying against the anvil 15.

It is desirable that the arm 17 be temporarily held against movement after the explosion of a cap has taken place and said arm is reset preparatory to the next closing of the lid or cover 11, and while various forms of devices may be employed for locking the arm 17 in its retracted position shown in Fig. 2, I preferably employ a simple leaf spring 22 which, when the head of the arm 17 is moved to the right, looking at Fig. 2, will spring upwardly to aslight extent in front of the said head and thus restrain said arm againstmovement under the stress of the spring 18. The spring 22 constitutes simply a latch for temporarily locking the arm 17 in its retracted position preparatory to an additional cap being fed to the anvil 15 and the lid or cover 11 being closed.

hen the lid or cover 11 is closed after the hammer arm 17 and cap ribbon 21 have been set in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the means (in this instance the spring 22) holding the arm 17 against operation, must be relieved from said arm and said arm al lowed to rest against something, which, when the lid is opened, will be withdrawn from the arm and allow the latter to strike, under the stress of the spring 18, against the cap lying on the anvil, and in the present instance, to carry out the operation just indicated, I secure to the inner side of the lid or cover 11, a downwardly extending arm 23-, which when the lid is closed from its open position shown in Fig. 2 to its position illustrated in Fig. 3, will press downwardly on the spring 22 and move the latter below the plane of the arm 17, thereby moving the spring 22 out of action and permitting the spring 18 to press the arm 17 against said arm 23, which then becomes the stop for restraining the hammer arm.

After the parts have been set, as shown in i Fig. 2, and the lid or cover 11 closed, the mechanism will be in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3, the arm 23 being in the path of and restraining the arm 17 against movement and the pressure of said arm 17 against the arm 28 serving to aid in holding the lid 11 in its closed position. hen the closed box is handed to a friend to open, the turning upwardly of the lid 11 will remove the arm 23 from the path of the hammer arm 17 and immediately upon the arm 28 leaving said arm 17 the spring 18 will drive the latter against the cap disposed at the front of the anvil 15 and cause the explosion to take place. The purpose is to surprise the person opening the box, and this is effected by the explosion of the cap in the manner indicated. After an explosion has taken place the owner of the box will restore the hammer arm to its retracted position shown in Fig. 2, and feed another portion of the tape or ribbon 21 over the face of the anvil 15 and then again close the lid 11 so that the arm 23 may move the latch 22 to its inoperative position and take the pressure of the arm 17. The box will then be ready for further use and when opened again will release the arm 17 to cause another explosion. The arm 23 carried by the cover part of the receptacle has at its lower end a laterally turned lip which serves as a member for releasing the hammer arm from its temporary restraint when the cover is closed and the vertical portion of the arm 23 then serves as a stop against which the hammer arm is then pressed by the spring 18.

I do not limit my invention to the special detail of means shown and described for temporarily holding the hammer arm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the cover, nor to the special means shown for releasing the said arm from its temporary restraint when the cover is applied so that the stop arm on the cover may then take the pressure of the spring-pressed hammer arm.

hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A receptacle to be opened and closed, one part of said receptacle containing an anvil, aranged to hold a percussion cap, a pivoted hammer arm to explode the cap against said anvil, means for temporarily holding the hammer arm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the receptacle and a spring for actuating the hammer arm to cause the explosion of a cap when the receptacle is opened, and the other part of the receptacle having means to, when closed, release the hammer arm from its temporary restraint and afford a stop against which said arm is then pressed by said spring, whereby when said part of the receptacle is opened the hammer arm is left free to strike a cap; substantially as set forth.

2. A receptacle to be opened and closed, one part of said receptacle containing an anvil, arms adjacent thereto adapted to permit a ribbon of percussion caps to be strung between said arms and the anvil and across the face of the anvil, a pivoted hammer arm to explode the caps against said anvil, means for temporarily holding the hammer arm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the receptacle and a. spring for actuating the hammer arm to cause the explosion of a cap when the receptacle is opened, and the other part of the receptacle having means to, when closed, release the hammer arm from its temporary restraint and alford a stop against which said arm is then pressed by said spring, whereby when said part of the receptacle is opened the hammer-arm is left free to strike a cap; substantially as set forth.

3. A receptacle to be opened and closed, one part of said receptacle containing an anvil, arranged to hold a percussion cap, a pivoted hammer arm to explode the cap against said anvil, means for temporarily holding the hammer arm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the receptacle and a spring for actuating the hammer arm to cause the explosion of a cap when the receptacle is opened, and the other part of the receptacle having a member for, when said part is closed, releasing the hammer arm from its temporary restraint and a stop in the path of said arm against which the arm is then pressed by said spring, whereby when said part of the receptacle is opened the hammer arm is left free to strike a cap; substantially as set forth.

at. A receptacle to be opened and closed, one part of said receptacle containing an anvil against which percussion caps may be exploded, a horizontal spring-pressed hammer-arm pivoted at one end for striking the caps and a spring for temporarily holding the hammer-arm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the receptacle, and the other part of the receptacle having means to, when closed, release the hammerarm from its temporary restraint and furnish a stop in the path of said arm to take the pressure of the same, whereby when the receptacle is opened the hammer arm will be left free to strike a cap; substantially as set forth.

5. A receptacle to be opened and closed, one part of said receptacle containing a plate forming at one end an anvil set on edge, a spring-pressed hammer-arm pivotally secured at one end to the other end of said plate and adapted at its outer end, when released, to strike a cap placed against the vertical face of said anvil and spring means for temporarily holding the hammerarm in its retracted position preparatory to the closing of the receptacle, and the other part of the receptacle having means to, when closed, release the hammer arm from its temporary restraint and furnish a stop in the path of said arm to take the pressure of the same, whereby when the receptacle is opened the hammer-arm will be left free to strike a cap; substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a. box having a cover, of an anvil mounted within said box and arranged to hold a cap, a hammer mounted in said box and arranged to explode the cap, an actuating spring engaging the hammer, and means on said cover engaging the hammer to prevent said hammer from operating when the cover is closed and releasing the hammer when the cover is raised.

7. The combination with a box having a cover, of an anvil mounted within said box and arranged to hold a cap, a hammer mounted in said box and arranged to explode the cap, an actuating spring engaging the hammer, means within the box to be engaged by and hold the hammer retracted when said hammer is manually withdrawn in a direction from the anvil, and means 011 said cover automatically engaging the hammer when the cover is closed and freeing the same to operate when the cover is raised.

8. The combination with a box havin a cover, of a vertical anvil mounted wit in said box and arranged to hold a cap on edge against its vertical face, a hammer mounted in said box and arranged to explode the cap, an actuating spring engaging the hammer, means within the box for holding the hammer in its retracted position while the cover is open, and means on said cover releasing the hammer when the cover is raised.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of March A. D. 1909.

JAMES L. KELLOGG.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. O. GILL. 

